Your biggest frustration with retro bikes

[velomaniac]

Also what LGF said ^^^

Especially what he said about entry level frames. The fact that the bike/brand snobs also mentioned earlier wont touch the entry level stuff with a barge pole leaves more for me

 

[daugs]

finding that bike bought new in 1992 is now a bit big, the ravages of time taking its toll on the body as well as the bike

 

[mattr]

The throw away comments concerning 'old bicycles' frustrate me the most.

Very few old bikes were genuinely shit, only those that tried to emulate the 'mtb' with extremely cheap parts - enter the Raleigh Activator - a genuine shit bicycle.

The rest, for a few years, worked really well as all terrain bikes. You could take any number of entry level frames and enjoy yourself on a day out in the countryside without fear of much going wrong.

I've ridden a lot of older bikes, when they were current. And even compared to my 15 year old "retro" race bike, they were mostly rubbish. Gears that didn't work, just vaguely pushed the chain from side to side and brakes that gently slowed you to something like a halt. Current (even 15 year old stuff) just works.
But TBH, i've never been a "day out in the countryside" rider, its either been racing, or training.

And i'm far from a brand snob, my raleighs are brilliant. ;o)

 

[thesurfbus]

That I can't find a rigid fork with a long 1" threadless steerer for my RC200...

 

[legrandefromage]

[I've ridden a lot of older bikes, when they were current. And even compared to my 15 year old "retro" race bike, they were mostly rubbish. Gears that didn't work, just vaguely pushed the chain from side to side and brakes that gently slowed you to something like a halt. Current (even 15 year old stuff) just works.
But TBH, i've never been a "day out in the countryside" rider, its either been racing, or training.

And i'm far from a brand snob, my raleighs are brilliant. ;o)

Must have been some very old bikes then. Pictures of these vaguely operating bikes or it didnt happen. Even Raleigh stuck indexed shifters and Hyperglide on the Activator.

Now. It took me ages to write that, I searched through a huge catalog of witty and sarcastic one liners so dont go wasting it with some pithy reply

 

[mattr]

Is more like the maverick era. Mid 80s. Certainly pre hyperglide!

Rear mechs with the top jockey about 10cm clear of the freewheel.....

 

[cce]

the "I could never afford a klein/fat" brigade who have ten lava domes, tequestas etc....

 

[incorrigible]

My biggest frustration is time (or rather lack of) to fix them and to ride them (other than commuting).

+1

 

[wookiee]

...bikes that have been left out in the garden for years that I seem to love buying!!!

 

[Trebz]

The previous owner.